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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039598">The Grim Stalker's Requiem</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneShadowStar/pseuds/LoneShadowStar'>LoneShadowStar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Probably a horror story but I'm not sure</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:54:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,207</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24039598</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneShadowStar/pseuds/LoneShadowStar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grima has been defeated. The world has returned to peace. While everyone has mostly gone their separate ways, Robin has maintained a perfect life. He’s married to the beautiful Cordelia, is the chief advisor and best friend of Exalt Chrom, and is well known throughout all of Ylisse. He’s so well-known, that there is one woman who would do anything for his affections.<br/>Even if it means destroying what he loves.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chrom/Sumia (Fire Emblem), Guire | Gaius/Sallya | Tharja, My Unit | Reflet | Robin/Sallya | Tharja (One sided), My Unit | Reflet | Robin/Tiamo | Cordelia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Day in the Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I’m probably one of the few Awakening fans who doesn’t like Tharja’s character as much as many other people do. Her whole personality is, basically, that she has an obsession with Robin and hexes, even if she marries someone other than Robin. That said, I decided to explore just how obsessed she was and how far she was willing to go just to win him over. I hope you enjoy this story about an aspect of Tharja’s personality that I feel isn’t really explored in depth.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>--Cordelia--</p><p>It was morning already, yet Cordelia struggled to crawl out of her bed and down the stairs. She had stayed up all night trying to help her best friend Sumia after she accidentally released a group of Pegasi inside the castle, typical of her clumsy personality. Most of them had flown all across the castle, leaving destruction in their wake as they threw aside tables and furniture with their powerful wings, and Cordelia had to help clean up the mess they made on top of gathering the escaped pegasi.<br/>
As much as she wanted to sleep after such a stressful night, Cordelia had to wake up to travel back to the castle, like she did every day ever since she was declared a captain of the Pegasus Knights. That didn’t stop her from feeling sluggish, though, and she walked slowly down the stairs, as though she had suddenly become a zombie overnight. Immediately she was greeted by her husband, Robin, who gave her a soft hug and a short kiss on the cheek.<br/>
“Hey. How’s my perfect wife doing this morning?” Robin looked at her lovingly, which helped perk Cordelia somewhat. She loved Robin above all other men, ever since the two were married two years ago. In the past, however, she had an unrequited crush on a certain prince known as Chrom, who had instead married Sumia. Cordelia once constantly pined for Chrom’s affections, but after she fell in love with Robin, she had discarded all romantic feelings she had for Chrom and replaced them with her affections for Robin, and she was much happier because of it.<br/>
“Oh, good morning, Robin.” Cordelia half-yawned, “I’m feeling rather sleepy at the moment. What are you up to?” She looked across the room to see a plate of food sitting at the kitchen table, still fresh.<br/>
“I knew you had a stressful night, so I decided to make you breakfast.” Robin explained, “If you hate my cooking, that’s fine. I just miscalculated a little.” Robin, first and foremost, was a tactician. His strategies were one of many things that helped Ylisse defeat such forces as mad kings, conquerors, and dark wizards. Even outside of conflict, however, Robin continued to strategically plan each and every day. It fit well with Cordelia’s personality: She was a perfectionist who wanted everything prim and proper, though not to the extent Robin wanted things.<br/>
“Thank you, Robin.” She replied, “I didn’t even know you could cook. How did you do it?” All of a sudden, Robin looked a little nervous.<br/>
“Er… Well, I read a bunch of cooking books and tried to learn several recipes that I thought you might enjoy.” Robin said, “I may have mixed up some of them, so the taste might be… Different than what you’re used to.”<br/>
Cordelia smiled. “Well, I’m sure it will be exciting nonetheless, especially if it was you who made it.” She walked over and began to eat the food he had prepared for her. She found the taste appealing, if a little strange, just as Robin predicted. She looked over to tell him the food was ok, only to see he still had a nervous expression on his face.<br/>
“Do you… Like it?” He asked.<br/>
“Yes, Robin, I like it.” Cordelia replied. “It’s somewhat of a strange taste, but nothing I’m not used to.” She got up after she had finished eating and walked up to Robin, wrapping her arms around him and gazing lovingly into his eyes. “I really appreciate you thinking of me like this. It reminds me just how much you care about me.”<br/>
Robin started to blush as his nervousness all but evaporated. “Aw, you know I’d do anything you ask. I just thought I’d make your day a little easier.” They kissed each other again, this time on the lips, for a short time before pulling apart. At that moment, a bright, cheerful young girl with short red hair came down the stairs, looking over at the happy couple.<br/>
“Oh! Good morning, mother and father!” She exclaimed. This girl was Robin and Cordelia’s daughter, Morgan, who aspired to be a tactician just like her father. She was a bright and cheerful girl who always displayed a sense of optimism, though when Robin first met her she had lost her memories of her past life. Those memories, as of yet, never returned, but that didn’t stop Morgan from knowing her parents. Just behind her was another girl also coming down the stairs, who had white hair tied into pigtails that reached past her shoulders. Unlike Morgan, this girl seemed irritable.<br/>
“Ugh. Good morning.” She said bluntly. This other girl was Morgan’s older sister, Severa. Unlike Morgan, Severa was typically bitter and easily annoyed, not to mention she had a bad attitude to most things she dealt with. After the defeat of the Fell Dragon, Grima, Severa one day left suddenly for parts unknown, before just as suddenly returning home again. Robin and Cordelia both noticed that Severa seemed somewhat different than when she left, and sometimes responded to the name “Selena.” Neither of them knew why, and Severa refused to speak of it.<br/>
“Is there any reason why I had to get up?” Severa annoyingly stated, “It’s not like I have jobs to get to like the two of you.”<br/>
“Severa.” Robin replied, “I don’t want you and Morgan to sleep in too much. If you do, you’ll get into a habit of sleeping too often, and it’s not healthy for you two to sleep so much.” Severa gave a scoff and turned her head in a sassy manner while Morgan smiled.<br/>
“Don’t worry, father.” Morgan beamed, “I understand exactly what you mean!” She looked over to the side, though, at a large grandfather clock in the living room. “Severa’s right, though, don’t the two of you have jobs to get to?”<br/>
Cordelia’s expression immediately changed to one of shock. “Oh, gods! I completely forgot! Robin, help me get ready!” She rushed back upstairs and frantically washed her face, brushed her hair, and changed out of her nightgown into her Pegasus Knight uniform. Robin also changed into his grandmaster uniform while gathering all of his notes and important documents for his meeting with Chrom. Within a few minutes, both were ready and out the door, heading to their respective jobs. Morgan and Severa looked after them as they left in a hurry.<br/>
“Gawds. Sometimes I don’t understand our parents.” Severa bluntly said.<br/>
“Yeah.” Morgan replied, “I don’t either… That’s what makes them great!”</p><p>--Tharja--<br/>
It was just another day in Tharja’s dark abode. For the past month, she had been trying to create some sort of hex that would reunite her with the object of her affections: Robin. Ever since she laid eyes on Robin, Tharja was immediately smitten by him. It was so great that she willingly left her home in Plegia and joined Chrom’s army just to be close to Robin. That obsession never changed. In fact, it had only gotten worse.<br/>
It was almost like Cordelia’s crush on Chrom, except Tharja never let go of her feelings for Robin. To this day, she continued to stalk Robin and try constantly to be near him at all times, which became much more difficult after his marriage to Cordelia and his status in the castle. She had left the military after the war was over, and wasn’t allowed entry into the castle without written approval from Chrom himself, not that Chrom would want her inside the castle, anyway. She was a dark mage who studied arcane arts, something that Chrom found dangerous and volatile.<br/>
The constant lack of Robin returning her affections was beginning to gnaw at Tharja’s mind. She was jealous of Cordelia and how she had managed to win him over when she couldn’t. She was angry that Robin still didn't love her. And most of all, she was angry that she was living in this dank, cold slum she called home.<br/>
“There’s some invisible bond that binds us together. I just know it!” Tharja thought as she began mixing dubious chemicals together, “and I won’t stop until I’ve found it!” At that moment, a figure dressed in thief’s clothes burst into the slum, carrying a sack on his back with a lollipop stick sticking out of his mouth.<br/>
“Sugar! I’m home!” This figure was Gaius, Tharja’s husband, though she didn't really treat him as such. Gaius was a laid-back thief who had a strange obsession with sweets and candy. Rarely was he ever seen without a sack of sweets on his back, and left a trail of sugar everywhere he went. Like other thieves, he stole to make a living, though most of the time he would blow off the stolen money buying candy for himself.<br/>
Tharja hated Gaius, though she was willing to marry him so that she could have someone to test her hexes on. He was no Robin, that’s for sure. As soon as she made Robin leave Cordelia and run off with her, she would also abandon Gaius. Why keep a lab rat when they no longer serve a purpose?<br/>
“Oh. So you’ve returned.” Tharja dryly replied, “You kept me waiting.” She didn’t even look at Gaius and was still engrossed in her work. Gaius, noticing this, tried to approach her. She waved her hand towards him, signaling that she was not to be disturbed.<br/>
“Sorry. Guess I got too sticky for my own good.” Gaius responded. While Tharja only married Gaius to use him, Gaius genuinely liked Tharja. He knew that she had an obsession with Robin, but, being Gaius, he didn’t really care about it. As long as he had his sugar, he was a happy man.<br/>
Tharja swatted him away with a look of annoyance. Nothing was more important than her work. “Leave me be, Gaius.” She sternly told him, “I have important work to do.”<br/>
“Let me guess.” Gaius replied, “You’re working on that hex to make bubbles fall for you. Am I right?” Bubbles was Gaius’s nickname for Robin.<br/>
“Oh, joy.” Tharja sarcastically responded, “You figured it out. Now shut up and let me work on this.” After a moment, however, she turned around, a devilish smile stretched across her face. “Unless…” She grinned, “you’re willing to help me test it again.”<br/>
“Sure.” Gaius nonchalantly responded, “I got nothing better to do right now.” He walked over and sat down in the middle of a hexing circle. Tharja followed close behind with her materials to perform the hex. An aura soon surrounded Gaius as Tharja cast it, soon moving closer until it absorbed itself into Gaius. When it finally cleared, Gaius was in a daze. “Sugar…” He subconsciously drawled.<br/>
“How do you feel?” Tharja asked. Gaius looked blankly at first, before coming to his senses. He looked at himself completely to see if anything was out of place. Everything seemed fine.<br/>
“Eh, I’m fine, sweet cheeks.” Gaius replied, “Not much different, I think.”<br/>
Tharja looked in disappointment. “I see. Another failure.” She gathered her things and moved them back to her work area. She was getting nowhere in making this hex. Perhaps she should try something else to make Robin hers.<br/>
But what, exactly? Tharja wasn’t sure. She had watched Cordelia to see how she had managed to win his affections, but none of them were things Tharja was willing to do. Cordelia was a romantic who never stopped loving Robin, and even when she did, she would always come back to him. Tharja was too dry and apathetic to be like Cordelia, so she tried to make her hex to solve that problem. Gaius once suggested that Tharja make a hex for herself to make her look like Cordelia, but such a hex was too difficult to use without Tharja outright replacing Cordelia.<br/>
That’s when she had a realization.<br/>
Tharja would find some way to lure Cordelia away from Robin, then she would kill her. Then she’d use a hex to make her look like Cordelia in her absence, effectively replacing her. Robin wouldn’t even know the difference, meaning Tharja could finally have Robin all to herself. She smiled an evil grin just thinking about it. In order to make the hex, however, she needed some kind of DNA from Cordelia to use in the hex.<br/>
Tharja, however, knew how she would get it, and even have some extra pleasure in the process.<br/>
“Gaius! I have to leave, now.” Tharja shouted, “I have a date with my destiny!” She whirled out the slum in devilish joy. Gaius simply looked on as she left, before shrugging and placing a piece of candy in his mouth. Tharja finally knew how she would get Robin’s affections for herself, and she was willing to do it.<br/>
“You can’t hide from me, Robin.” Tharja said to herself, “The gods have chosen the two of us to be together!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bandits in the Town Square</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Robin and Cordelia have arrived at Castle Ylisstol, where they are shortly after dispatched to deal with a group of brigands terrorizing a part of the town.</p><p>Meanwhile, Tharja sets her plans in motion.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I originally had Tharja's segment at the end of the chapter, like the previous one, but I decided to make it the first section because it flowed better. I also wanted to make the scenes a bit longer than the previous chapter, but unfortunately there wasn't much else I could add to Tharja's section. Oh well.</p><p>I'm thinking I'll post at least one chapter per week, though I could probably be able to do more.</p><p>Also, poor Kellam. The one time he's missing is also the one time he's remembered.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Tharja</strong>
</p><p>Tharja wandered through the dark corners of Ylisse's slums, searching for the perfect person to satisfy her needs. She had decided that she wouldn’t gather Cordelia’s DNA on her own, but rather hire someone to get it for her. It would be much easier, she thought, because then Robin wouldn’t be able to trace things back to her.</p><p>As she continued, she heard a whooshing sound as someone ran past her. She quickly turned around, only to find no one behind her. Continuing, she heard another whooshing sound just behind her. Such an occurrence would probably play on anyone’s nerves, but not Tharja’s. She was used to the dark and thought of such a place as normal for her. In fact, she was more annoyed than she was nervous.</p><p>Finally, she came face to face with a large, burly brigand staring directly at her.</p><p>“Hello, love!” He snarled, “What’s a comely lass like you doing in a dark place like this?” Suddenly, a group of rogues and brigands stepped out of the shadows, brandishing daggers and axes. As was typical of these types of folks, they were going to attempt to rob Tharja and probably sell her on the black market.</p><p>Unfortunately for them, she had come prepared.</p><p>Unleashing her dark magic, the group of rogues were quickly dispatched before any of them could make any sudden moves. Soon, she had cornered their leader, who had his back to the wall in fear.</p><p>“Alright! Alright! I yield!” He screamed in terror, “Please let me go! I promise not to hurt ya!” Tharja, however, did not listen, and pinned the terrified brigand to the wall with a blast of magic.</p><p>“There. Now you won’t try anything.” She smiled, “Now listen. I want you to do something for me, you… What’s your name?”</p><p>“G-Gazzak.” The brigand gulped, “G-Gazzak the brigand.” Tharja leaned closer towards Gazzak as he became more and more terrified.</p><p>“Well, Gazzak.” She grinned, “I have a favor for you and your gang to do for me. Refuse, and I’ll give you a hexing you won’t soon forget.”</p><p>Gazzak was now soaked in sweat, and his heart was beating inhumanly fast, “Alright! Alright! I’ll do it! Anything you ask!” Tharja smiled, slightly releasing her grip on Gazzak.</p><p>“Good. You see, there’s this girl with red hair here in Ylisstol. I want you to find her and bring her to me.” Gazzak, now fully released, ran away frantically. Tharja smiled as she watched her unwilling minion gather his gang and run out into the town. Everything was going exactly as she hoped. Now, she just had to wait.</p><p>
  <strong>Cordelia</strong>
</p><p>As Cordelia and Robin frantically ran to the castle gates, the gatekeeper stopped them with a stern stare.</p><p>“Halt! Anyone who wishes passage into the castle must first have Exalt Chrom’s approval!” Robin looked at him with slight annoyance. “Robin. Grandmaster of Ylisse, advisor of Chrom?” Robin described himself annoyingly. “This is my wife, Cordelia. Captain of the Pegasus Knights?”</p><p>Immediately the Gatekeeper recognized the two of them. “Why yes, Robin and Cordelia!” The gatekeeper stated, “You may enter.” With that, the gates opened as Robin and Cordelia walked through them, holding each other’s hands. As they entered, Robin couldn't help but look back annoyingly</p><p>“Sometimes I wonder why the gatekeeper always looks us over.” Robin stated annoyingly, “Don’t they trust us?” Cordelia wondered the same thing. She hated the routine checkups whenever they entered or exited the castle, though she knew it was all to keep the castle secure. She sympathized with the gatekeeper, being a Pegasus knight and all.</p><p>“Well, this castle is the most important place in all of Ylisse.” Cordelia surmised. “What if we were impostors of the real Robin and Cordelia? Or what if Tharja somehow sneaked her way in using our identities?” Robin turned pale at the mention of Tharja. “Oh, gods. That sounds exactly like something Tharja would do.” Robin almost felt sick thinking about it. Tharja always had an obsession with Robin, so what would stop her from stealing his entire identity?</p><p>“At least she wouldn’t be able to mimic us.” Cordelia stated, “Could you imagine Tharja acting at all like me?” Robin smiled at the thought. “Heh, not at all. I’d know immediately if she was impersonating you. Guess that means I know you more than I know her.” At that moment, the two of them entered the foyer, where they were greeted by the Exalt and Exaltess of Ylisse: Chrom and Sumia. Chrom was a man with noble ideals who believed in protecting his people first and foremost. Sumia, while friendly, was also incredibly clumsy, sometimes randomly tripping on absolutely nothing and falling flat on her face. This clumsiness significantly hurt Sumia's ego in some respects, but she seemed to be doing better ever since her marriage to Chrom.</p><p>The two of them were flanked by their royal guardian, Frederick, who was steadfastly loyal to Chrom and took great measures to ensure his safety. At one time, he even dusted aside pebbles on a dirt road to make sure Chrom didn’t trip on any. He wasn’t married, though there were rumors that he was courting one of Ylisse’s noble ladies. Cordelia and Sumia hugged each other while they greeted one another. Sumia nearly tripped in the process, but thankfully Cordelia caught her. "Phew, thanks." Sumia replied, "I swear, I can't even walk in a straight line without tripping over something."</p><p>"It's alright, Sumia." Cordelia assured her, "at least your clumsiness doesn't spread to everywhere else, unlike those pegasi from last night..." At this remark, Sumia immediately stood up straight and bowed in apology. “Oh, I’m so sorry for last night!” Sumia apologized. “I had no idea those pegasi would trash the entire castle.” Cordelia looked at Sumia reassuringly. This helped to calm her down and regain her senses.</p><p>“Sumi, there’s nothing you need to apologize to me for.” Cordelia consoled, “We cleaned up the mess, even if it took all night, and we got all the pegasi back where they belong.” That further helped Sumia’s mood, and she returned to her original self. “Thanks, Cordelia. I guess you’re right about that.” She said, relieved.</p><p>Meanwhile, Robin and Chrom were shaking each other’s hands, while Frederick stared at Robin intensely the entire time. "Frederick," Robin stated, annoyed "Do you always have to stare when Chrom and I greet each other?" Frederick immediately reprieved his stare and stood straight upwards. "My apologies, Robin." Frederick replied, "I must always ensure milord is safe from anyone who encounters him, even if it's you." Robin couldn't help but stare at Frederick in shock and disbelief. "You're kidding." Robin responded, "Why in the seven hells would I want to hurt Chrom?"</p><p>"Well," Frederick replied, "You see..." Chrom immediately dismissed Frederick before he could continue. "Sorry about Frederick." Chrom apologized, "Sometimes I wonder why he's so obsessed with watching every single person I interact with."</p><p>"Well," Robin surmised, "I WAS almost possessed by Grima, and I almost killed you in the process, so that might be it." Chrom chuckled at the response, "Well, I'm still glad you could make it."</p><p>"I actually almost didn't." Robin replied. This caused Chrom to have a slight look of disbelief. "Really?" he stated, "You, the damned grandmaster of Ylisse, almost didn't get here?" Robin looked back at Chrom with some embarassment.</p><p>"Nope." He confessed, "I had to make Cordelia breakfast after last night, and we got so caught into each other that we forgot we were running late."</p><p>"Well, at least you're here now." Chrom told him, "I'd prefer you to be late than to not show up at all." At that moment, two knights ran into the room, one of which wore green armor, while the other wore red armor. These two knights, named Stahl and Sully, were two of Chrom's personal guards. Stahl was a man dressed in green armor and had a cowlick in his hair. He was somewhat laid-back and loved to eat, though he made up for it by having a kind nature. Sully, who was dressed in red, was perhaps Stahl's opposite in every regard. She was a girl with short, messy red hair and acted in a rough manner, often cursing in her regular speech. She was a terrible cook, so she often relied on Stahl to get food for her.</p><p>In a rather unexpected twist, the two very different knights fell in love with each other and married soon after. Everyone knew they always worked together, but no one was expecting them to marry each other, not even Robin. To this day, he was still amazed by how they did it.</p><p>"Bandits!" Stahl exclaimed, out of breath, "In the town! *huff* *huff*... Need... *huff* help!" Noticing that her husband was about to collapse from exhaustion, Sully took over explaining things. She hadn't even broken a sweat when she ran all the way to the castle.</p><p>"They aint ordinary bandits, either." Sully continued, "We need a hell of a lot more than the two of us!"</p><p>"Alright." Chrom responded, "I'll send someone out to deal with them." He turned to Robin as he spoke. "Robin, I'm sure dealing with a group of brigands is beyond your area of expertise, so I can expect you to handle it, right?" Robin almost chuckled at Chrom's words as he responded.</p><p>"Heh, do you even need to ask me that?" He responded, "I'm sure I can deal with a few brigands." Chrom smiled at Robin's confidence, knowing that he gave the right answer.</p><p>"Good." Chrom told him, "You'll accompany Stahl and Sully at the site of the bandits. I'll also send Frederick to help deal with any stragglers, and Kellam..." He turned in looked around, wondering where Kellam had went. Kellam was a knight who was in the service of Ylisse, yet no one seemed to ever notice his presence due to his quiet nature. After a while of looking around, Chrom turned and looked at Frederick in confusion.</p><p>"Um... Where's Kellam?" He asked.</p><p>"He left on a journey a long while ago." Frederick replied, "No one even knew he was missing until today."</p><p>Chrom slapped his face in frustration. "Damn it. So I guess Kellam will NOT be joining you. I'll have to think of someone else..." At that moment, a large man in heavy armor entered the room. It wasn't Kellam, but a different man entirely.</p><p>"You needed someone to join you, Sir Chrom?" He asked. Chrom whirled at the mention of his name.</p><p>"Ah! Robin, this is Richard." Chrom showed Robin the armored man, "He's a knight in Ylisse's service who once served my father." Richard bowed towards Robin.</p><p>"Sir Robin. I shall accompany you on seeing those brigands defeated." Robin looked at this man bowing before him. Richard seemed sincere, that was sure, but Robin couldn't help but feel as though there was something... Off about Richard, like he had hidden depths.</p><p>"Uh... Sure." Robin finally said, "I'll take you along." He turned and lead his group out the castle to deal with the bandits. As he left, however, Cordelia had managed to follow him out, riding her pegasus.</p><p>"Robin." She told him, "Allow me to join you as well."</p><p>"No, Cordelia." Robin told her strictly. "I can't allow you to join us on this mission. What if something happened to you?" Cordelia almost scoffed at Robin's words.</p><p>"Robin." She said again, more strict, "I think I can handle myself. I have you for a husband, after all." She dismounted and put a hand on his shoulder to emphasize her point. The two of us fought together in the Mad King's war, then in the battle against Walhart, and then again in the battle against Grima. Besides that, I'm a captain of the Pegasus Knights. You should know by now that I can fight, too."</p><p>At these words, Robin's scorn turned to shame. "You're right." Robin admitted, "You can handle yourself as much as I can handle myself. Fine, I'll let you join."</p><p>Cordelia smiled at his words, grateful for his answer, and released her grip. "Thank you." She told him. "I'm glad you're giving me this chance. It's been a while since I've been in a battle, so I've been wanting to see how well my skills have developed. Plus, I get to see the entire town flying on the back of my pegasus."</p><p>Suddenly, Robin had an idea. "Say, Cordelia, could you let me... Ride your pegasus with you?" He asked, "It'll allow me to reach the destination a lot faster."</p><p>Cordelia almost blushed as though she was hearing his proposal again, but quickly got over her momentary nervousness. "Of course, Robin. I might even show you how to ride one yourself!"</p><p>"Uh... No thanks." Robin suddenly said nervously. "Tacticians do better in battle on the ground." Cordelia chuckled at this as she led her husband onto the pegasus before taking off. Robin was surprised at first to suddenly be off the ground, but quickly got over it, even finding the view breathtaking. Soon, he found himself gazing at the city below, which appeared much smaller than when he was grounded.</p><p>"Wow." Robin exclaimed, amazed, "I never knew riding on a pegasus could be so... Breathtaking." Cordelia turned her head back to Robin and smiled.</p><p>"Now you know why I enjoy my job so much." She beamed, "You can see the world in a completely different way on the back of a pegasus."</p><p>“No kidding.” Robin replied, continuing to look at the ground below, “I think I can see all of Ylisstol from up here.” In all his life, Robin had never been as amazed as he was in this moment. He had never seen an entire city from such a high altitude, and it was beginning to mesmerize him.</p><p>“So, how high can these pegasi fly, anyway?” He finally asked, wanting to see if he could get an even better view.</p><p>“Almost to the clouds.” Cordelia replied, “Unfortionately, I can’t go any higher because there’s less oxygen at that level, and I’d probably pass out and fall if I did.”</p><p>"Well, no wonder you're a romantic." Robin teased, "You always want to have your head in the clouds."</p><p>"And no wonder you're an analyst." Cordelia responded playfully, "You've never had yours in the clouds."</p><p>The two continued their playful banter as they continued to travel to their destination. Soon, Robin paused his bantering with Cordelia to notify her that they had arrived.</p><p>"Cordelia! Look out!" He exclaimed.</p><p>"Right!" She responded, leading the pegasus to prepare to land.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Jealousy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cordelia and Robin arrive at the town square to do battle against Gazzak. Richard makes a deal with the devil, and Severa and Morgan encounter a perilous situation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hoo boy. This took WAY longer to make than I thought it would. I didn't really have a plan for the story when I started writing it, meaning I was basically making it up as I went along. I know now that that is a very bad thing for a writer to do, so for the past few months I decided to take a break from writing in order to decide how I wanted the story of Tharja's jealousy to play out. After much drafting and cutting, I think I finally came up with something that readers would enjoy. Anyway, sorry for not giving any notice.</p>
<p>As you know, the focus of Tharja's jealousy is on Cordelia: She wants to replace her and become Robin's (new) wife. At first, I wanted to create a story of Tharja literally replacing Cordelia by taking on her appearance, while the real Cordelia had to try and prove to Robin that Tharja's image was a fake. I eventually realized that there were some problems with this: For one, Tharja would have to act exactly the way Cordelia does, which, in case you haven't noticed, Tharja is nothing like Cordelia. Second, I wanted there to be more of Tharja and not "fake Cordelia" in the story. So I began to change Tharja's plans as far as how she'll handle Robin falling in love with her, as well as getting rid of Cordelia.</p>
<p>To all of the Cordelia fans out there: I do not intend to kill off our redhead Pegasus Knight when Tharja makes her move, although she will come very close to doing so. What will she do? Well, you'll see when we get there. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Cordelia</strong>
</p>
<p>In Ylisstol, Richard, alongside Stahl and Sully, were already engaged in battle with Gazzak and his crew. With just the three of them, however, there was an obvious struggle. Richard had engaged Gazzak directly, but was quickly losing due to his advanced age: Every time Richard swung his axe, Gazzak easily dodged.</p>
<p>“Gah ha ha!” Gazzak laughed over Richard, “Give it up, old man. Don’t ya see you’re a mite too old to deal with th’ likes o’ me?” Richard, however, refused to relent, and stood himself back up with a determined expression. He had never given up on a fight before, and he wouldn’t start now. Charging ahead, he attempted to strike Gazzak with his axe again. It missed, and Gazzak countered with a fierce blow, causing Richard to fall over as Gazzak stepped on his large armor, pinning Richard to the ground.</p>
<p>“Now,” Gazzak began, “You’re going to find me as many girls with red hair as you can, or I’ll crush you under your own armor.” As much as he tried to resist, Richard couldn’t throw Gazzak off of himself. He was too weak to do anything. Gazzak saw Richard struggling and stepped harder, smiling as he did so. “Don’t struggle.” He said, “It’ll only make things worse for you.” At that moment, however, Cordelia’s Pegasus arrived and was preparing to land. As Cordelia’s Pegasus landed, its wings created a slight gust of wind. This caught Gazzak by surprise, and he fell over off of Richard. The other bandits who happened to be nearby were also surprised and fell over.</p>
<p>Richard and Sully weren’t fazed by this, but Stahl very nearly fell of his horse in surprise. “Gods!” He yelled, struggling to right himself, “Next time, warn me when you come in like that!” Sully, watching Stahl as he tried to wriggle himself back on his horse while straightening his hair, couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.</p>
<p>“Heh.” She chuckled, “I swear, Stahl, you get startled by everything.” Stahl shot back a glare at this remark, pretending to ignore this comment. “Anyways,” he began, “What took you so long? I thought you’d never show up!”</p>
<p>“Well,” Robin began, jumping down from Cordelia’s Pegasus, “Cordelia insisted on coming along with us. I tried telling her no, but of course she refused to listen, and so, here we are.” Cordelia waved to the others at this remark. Stahl also waved back, until Sully slapped the back of his head.</p>
<p>“Ow!” he yelled, rubbing the back of his head, “What was that for?!”</p>
<p>“You idiot.” Sully told him, “Don’t you remember why we came here? There are bandits here, remember?” At that moment, Gazzak stood up, rubbing his head as he groaned.</p>
<p>“The hell was that…?” He asked himself as he slowly came to his senses. Suddenly, he got one look at Cordelia – the very red-haired girl Tharja wanted him to kidnap – and immediately remembered his objective.</p>
<p>“Well well. Aren’t you a pretty lass?” He smiled at Cordelia, “Methinks you’re the red haired girl I’ve been lookin’ for.” Directing his men, the entire group soon surrounded Richard and Robin’s group again, intending to capture Cordelia.</p>
<p>“Yer gonna pay for that gust of wind, girl.” Gazzak growled, “Get them!” With that, the battle resumed, with Robin and Cordelia taking command of the others. Thanks to their help, the group was able to dispatch several of the brigands before Cordelia faced Gazzak once again. “This is your last chance, brigand.” Cordelia warned, “Throw down your arms and surrender to us, and you won’t be harmed!”</p>
<p>“Yar! I’ve taken stronger girls than you, lass. You’ll be nothin’ to me!” At that, the two clashed their weapons as they dueled one another. Gazzak took a swing at Cordelia, who dodged easily with her Pegasus. The missed attack also left an opening for Cordelia. “Get out of my sight!” she shouted as she charged forward at a blinding speed, impaling Gazzak with her lance. The damage was critical, and Gazzak fell to the ground in defeat.</p>
<p>“What?!” He cried in shock, “How in th’ hell… Did I lose to… Such a…” He went silent, signifying that he was dead. Cordelia was victorious. Robin saw this and rushed over, having a worried expression on his face.</p>
<p>“Cordelia!” He shouted, “You’re not hurt, I hope?” Cordelia chuckled slightly at Robin’s concern, showing him that she was unharmed. “I’m fine, Robin.” She assured him as she dismounted from her pegasus, “That bandit was nothing to worry about.” At this moment, the others arrived, seeing that Cordelia had defeated Gazzak.</p>
<p>“Well well.” Sully commented, “Looks like Robin and Cordelia save the day again.” She dismounted from her horse and gave Cordelia a pat on the back, signifying her gratitude. “Hell, we were nearly dead until you two showed up. Guess that’s why you two are so popular around here.” Cordelia blushed at the complements, before Stahl also came over.</p>
<p>“Um, Sully? Could we save the complimenting for when we get back?” He asked, out of breath, “That battle seriously worked up an appetite in me.” Sully turned to face her husband. He was bent over and clutching his stomach, an obvious sign that he had reached his limit in the battle. “Oh. Damn, I almost forgot that we were supposed to return to Chrom.” Jumping back on her horse, Sully directed the others to follow.</p>
<p>As they walked back, Stahl and Sully continued to shower praises on Robin and Cordelia for rescuing them from the jaws of defeat, not paying any mind to Richard, who didn’t even recover from his defeat at the hands of Gazzak until the battle was over. Why pay attention to the man who couldn’t even defeat one brigand, when you could instead pay attention to the woman and her husband who defeated hundreds?</p>
<p>In the past, Richard was able to cut down soldiers left and right without breaking a sweat, yet he was struggling against Gazzak before Cordelia arrived, who made his efforts look like a joke. Cordelia, someone much younger and less experienced than he was, couldn’t have possibly surpassed him in such a way, he believed, nor did he think she deserved to be praised.</p>
<p>And because of that, a hatred of Cordelia grew in his heart. His pride would not allow someone to be better than him.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Tharja</strong>
</p>
<p>After arriving back at Castle Ylisstol, Richard remained outside, bitter and angry. “Damn that girl.” He grumbled, “What right does one as inexperienced as her have to humiliate me in that battle?” As he was consumed further and further by his own, wounded pride, so too did his anger and frustration grow. “I should have been the one who lead us to victory. Not her. At this rate, I may be forced to retire, and, to add insult to injury, she may even be promoted in my place!” Frustrated by this thought, Richard grabbed a nearby stone and threw it aside, venting his anger.</p>
<p>“I must find a way to dispose of her.” Richard thought, “If I am to retain my position and my pride, that woman has to disappear!” As he said this, a shadow passed by him with a whooshing sound. Richard heard this and quickly turned to find the source of this sound. “Who’s there?” He shouted aloud, “Show yourself, lest you wish to be cut down by my axe!” At this, the figure emerged from the shadows. It was Tharja, who had been watching Richard this entire time.</p>
<p>“I hear that you’ve been humiliated.” Tharja spoke to Richard, “By Cordelia, I assume?” Richard, returning to his former agitated state, nodded his head with a scowl. “Indeed.” He told her, “That girl made me, an experienced knight who fought many battles, look like a joke compared to her. I, who served in the first Plegian War and cut down more dark mages than I can count, was surpassed by a girl who is far less experienced than I. They call her talented. A paragon. I call her a fraud. I would like nothing more than to see her removed from this plane of existence.”</p>
<p>“I, too, was wronged by Cordelia, once.” Tharja explained, pretending to act sympathetic, “She stole the love of my life away from me. In fact, it was I who sent those brigands lead by Gazzak to capture her. I intended to use her DNA in a hex that would make me look like her. At first, I was upset that Gazzak had failed me, but then I realized that I would also have to act like Cordelia if I stole her appearance, so now I am trying a different approach. That’s when I realized something: All of my failures in winning his affection are connected in some way to Cordelia. Ergo, if I kill her, I won’t even need to take her appearance. I can have him love me as myself, just as the fates determined. And if anyone gets in my way, well…” She demonstrated by sending a bolt of dark magic at a nearby flower, causing it to wither and decay. It was at this moment Richard realized that he and Tharja had a common enemy: Cordelia.</p>
<p>“You speak well, woman.” Richard replied, “It seems we have a common goal: Kill the woman who wronged us so that we can get what is rightfully ours. If you have any ideas for how this can be done, speak. For I, Richard Danglars, shall be your obedient servant.” Hearing those words made Tharja smile. She finally had the perfect person to assist her in her goal. And unlike Gazzak, Richard was following her willingly, meaning he would be easier to control. Robin would be hers at long last.</p>
<p>“Heh heh heh. That’s good to hear, Richard.” She grinned, “Now, then, I still have some of Gazzak’s men under my command, and so I have another idea for how we can deal with our little… Friend. Here is how it shall go…” With that, Tharja began to explain her plan to Richard, who’s smile grew larger and larger with every word Tharja spoke.</p>
<p>And the worst part was, neither Robin nor Cordelia would ever see it coming.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Back at the Reflet house, Morgan was busy cleaning dishes while her parents were still away. She figured that if she stayed home all the time, she could help around the house. Severa, on the other hand, was doing the opposite: She lounged on the sofa reading a novel, not paying any attention to anything around her.</p>
<p>As Morgan polished the last of the dishes, she was starting to become somewhat annoyed that Severa was blatantly refusing to help with any of the chores, and marched over to the sofa to voice her feelings.</p>
<p>“Hey, Severa?” Morgan asked, in a somewhat annoyed tone, “I would really appreciate it if you helped out around the house more. Just because you live here doesn’t mean you can’t do any chores.” Severa, however, didn’t even look up from her book to acknowledge Morgan’s presence. She simply continued staring at her novel as she gave her response.</p>
<p>“What do I look like, a maid?” Severa snootily replied, “I think I have a right to relax when I feel like it. Besides, I’m young, I shouldn’t be able to do anything.”</p>
<p>“You’re two years older than me, Severa!” Morgan shouted, now starting to become angry at her sister’s appalling laziness, “If I am able to do things around the house, then so can you. Why do you never do anything, or at least help me when I do something?”</p>
<p>Now Severa was beginning to get angry. She closed her novel and stood up, so that her and Morgan were face to face. This was becoming a full-blown argument. “For your information,” Severa bluntly stated, “I work when the time calls for it. Don’t you remember the time I polished the swords for father?”</p>
<p>“That was only because father forced you to after you tricked him into shopping with you!” Morgan retorted, “You can’t say you work when the time calls for it if someone else is forcing you to work!”</p>
<p>“As a matter of fact, I can, and I will!” Severa shouted, “You know what Morgan? I think…“ Whatever Severa was about to say, she was interrupted by the sound of a knocking at the door. Morgan, of course, gave Severa a firm look, indicating that she wanted Severa to check who was at their doorstep. Sighing, Severa walked over to the door and flung it open. She was so annoyed by the recent argument that she did not even bother to check who was on the other side.</p>
<p>That proved to be a fatal mistake, because two seconds later she was held in the grip of a large brigand, and no matter how much she struggled, she could not break free. She screamed and yelled at the brigand to let her go, catching the attention of Morgan, who turned to look for the source of the commotion.</p>
<p>“Severa?” Morgan yelled as she walked over to the door. Immediately afterwards, she too was in the arms of a large brigand and couldn’t break free. A third brigand looked to the two of them. Unlike the others, however, he was slim and well kept, appearing very much different from his henchmen. He wore a white, tattered noble’s coat that appeared to have been made ages ago, and he had long black hair with a thick handlebar moustache.</p>
<p>“Yes, this shall do nicely.” He grinned, gazing lovingly at his prizes, “I finally have the tactician’s daughters in my grasp.” He walked over to Severa, feeling her cheeks and her hair as she tried to turn away, disgusted by the act. “You two will give me so much, I can already feel it.”</p>
<p>“Who do you think you are, brigand?” Morgan yelled to the thin man, “You can’t just break in and kidnap us!” Keeping up his seemingly uncharacteristic eloquence, the man turned over to Morgan with a smile.</p>
<p>“First of all, do not compare me to these unruly brutes.” He sneered, “I am a thief, not a brigand. Second of all, address me as Vampa the White, the greatest thief in all of Ylisse, and once a loyal partner to the great Gazzak, until I heard that he was killed by your mother. What was her name? Cortana? Caeldori?”</p>
<p>“Cordelia!” Severa annoyingly corrected him, “Is that why you’re here, then? Because our mother killed your precious boss?” Vampa couldn’t help but chuckle at Severa’s assumptions. He never cared for Gazzak while he was in charge. In fact, he was happy that he was gone. Vampa knew he could be so much better than Gazzak, and now that he was dead, he had the chance he had desired for a long time.</p>
<p>“No, my gorgeous friend. You see, I have been hired by a… Special client to capture you. For ransom? I don’t know. What I do know is that I will receive a fortune in exchange for your… Services.” He shot a sinister glare at his two prisoners, imagining all the wealth he would soon be swimming in. Robin was a rich man, after all, and he would pay anything to get his precious daughters back. Vampa knew this, and he was willing to take full advantage of it.</p>
<p>“Take them back to the base!” Vampa commanded, “And make sure they do not escape!” At once the brigands obeyed, and Severa and Morgan were taken away. As much as they tried to fight back, it was futile. And so they screamed and tried to call for help.</p>
<p>But no one came.</p>
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